I am considering Cybersecurity Bachelor's degree should I follow DHS program accrediation ?
I am seeking an online Bachelor degree in Cybersecurity, do I need The recognition of National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) if I live outside of the United state ?
because I have seen some degrees do not have designation from these agencies, in the other hand there are so many degrees have recognition, how that recognition will help me for ?
#degree #information-technology #college #college-major #college-major #cybersecurity
3 answers
Mel’s Answer
Any kind of degree in the Cyber security space is very valuable, as we move more and more towards the internet and the world becomes digital a cyber security degree of any flavor will become even more sought after. Good luck
Chad’s Answer
From my perspective, I think it depends somewhat on the industries you would ultimately want to work in.
If your goal is a job with a governmental agency, or an industry that is heavily-regulated or considered a part of "critical infrastructure", then a program that has the backing and support of the DHS, NSA, or other governmental organization may be of some benefit.
If you're more interested in security in general, and are open to working across a variety of companies in terms of size/complexity and regulatory oversight, then it may be less critical to have any kind of governmental backing or certification, as I would say most employers (at least in the United States) generally don't have any strong requirements for any kind of governmental certification or backing.
I've personally worked directly or indirectly in the security field for roughly 20 years, and have only rarely run into situations where companies were looking for specific credentials that were hard requirements. Generally speaking those were more associated with the ability to obtain Secret/Top Secret clearance certifications, which often has much more to do with questions of citizenship or passing more specific background checks vs. the sources of your education or training. Outside of those specific instances, however, most companies look much more for the breadth of your experience and depth of knowledge along specific frameworks or regulations that may be relevant to them (PCI, HIPAA, GDPR, FEDRAMP, NIST, ISO, etc.)
Hope that helps!